Once thought to occur only in birds and mammals in the Northern Hemisphere, due to the more pronounced winters, we now know torpor is widespread in small Australian mammals.
Ten years ago, we feared Tasmanian devils would be wiped out by a bizarre infectious facial cancer transmitted by biting. But new genetic analysis shows they are evolving to live with the disease.
Fossil remains indicate these birds had a wingspan of over 20 feet.
Brian Choo
Paleontologists have discovered fossil remains belonging to an enormous 'toothed' bird that lived for a period of about 60 million years after dinosaurs.
The revamped citizenship test would include questions focused on "Australian values". But why not ask prospective Australians to show an understanding of our ancient landscape and unique species too?
Smithsonian Institution/colourised by D.S. Rovinsky
The "Tasmanian tiger" was hunted to extinction based on its perceived size as a predator big enough to take sheep. But it seems this was just a tall tale, and the thylacine weighed just 16.7kg.
The extinct _Mukupirna_ - which translates to 'big bones' - is estimated to have been more than four times larger than any living wombat.
Life and death in tropical Australia, 40,000 years ago. Giant reptiles ruled northern Australia during the Pleistocene with mega-marsupials as their prey.
Image Credit: R. Bargiel, V. Konstantinov, A. Atuchin & S. Hocknull (2020). Queensland Museum.
The main food for the mountain pygmy-possum’s spring/summer breeding season is the migratory bogong moth, but in 2017 and 2018 billions of bogong moths failed to arrive. Then the bushfires did.
Tammar wallabies are one of many species that can pause their pregnancies until the time is right.
LCAT Productions / Shutterstock
A new analysis of an extinct giant kangaroo skull suggests it was adapted to eat tough, woody material - a feeding style not found in any modern marsupials.
Knew you were coming: a koala cub on the back of the mother.
Shutterstock/PARFENOV
We used to think a marsupial mum didn't know when she was pregnant, but new research shows that's wrong. And that could help in conservation of endangered species.
A baby eastern barred bandicoot pokes its head out of its mother’s pouch.
M. Parrott, Zoos Victoria
Rewilding is gaining popularity around the world, as a means to restore ecosystems to their ancient state. But just like Vegemite, Australian rewilding projects need to have a unique flavour.
Koalas spend a large part of the day sleeping - while their digestive enzymes get to work.
emmanueleragne/flickr
The koala genome, published today, gives us new and valuable information to aid conservation of this marsupial. It identifies special genes that evolved to adapt the koala to its unique lifestyle.
Most Australian kangaroo species, such as the bettong, are largely out of sight and out of mind.
AAP Image/EPA
A new documentary makes some controversial claims about the health of kangaroo populations. But the real threat is not to Australia's iconic kangaroos -- it's to dozens of other, obscure species.
Gone since 1936, and ailing since long before that.
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
The new Tasmanian tiger genome reveals some fascinating facts about this extinct marsupial, including why they were so similar to dogs, and how they were growing more vulnerable to genetic disease.
An artist’s impression of the Wakaleo schouteni marsupial ‘lion’ challenging a thylacine over the carcass of a kangaroo in the early Miocene rainforest of Riversleigh.
Peter Schouten
'Marsupial lions' aren't really lions - but they did have teeth that formed a pair of secateur-like blades. The newly found species lived in forests of Queensland around 20 million years ago.
An impression of what it could have looked like: a giant lizard, Megalania, stalks a herd of migrating Diprotodon, while a pair of massive megafaunal kangaroos look on.
Laurie Beirne
Studies of the fossil teeth of the three-tonne Diprotodon have revealed the now-extinct beast was Australia's only known seasonally migrating marsupial.